


Seeking Sylaise

by orphan_account



Series: Seeking Sylaise [1]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-02
Updated: 2015-05-02
Packaged: 2018-03-21 18:21:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3701849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sylaise Lavellan is a Dalish elf who escaped from the Circle and became an apprentice of a high-standing Enchanter in the mage rebellion. She accompanies him to the Conclave, then her whole world is turned upside down.</p><p>The girl accustomed to hiding from the turmoil around her finds herself tossed right into the middle of a war, and she's the only one who can stop it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Seeking Sylaise

**Author's Note:**

> Sylaise the Hearthkeeper is seen as the sister of Andruil the Huntress. While Andruil loved to run with the creatures of the wild, Sylaise preferred to stay by her home-tree, occupying herself with gentle arts and song. 
> 
> It is Sylaise who gave us fire and taught us how to use it. It is Sylaise who showed us how to heal with herbs and with magic, and how to ease the passage of infants into this world. And again, it is Sylaise who showed us how to spin the fibers of plants into thread and rope. 
> 
> We owe much to Sylaise, and that is why we sing to her when we kindle the fires and when we put them out. That is why we sprinkle our aravels with Sylaise's fragrant tree-moss, and ask that she protect them and all within. 
> 
> —As told by Gisharel, Keeper of the Ralaferin clan of the Dalish elves

If there was one time in my life I wished I had the ability to become invisible... it would be now.

_I didn't close the Breach.. I didn't close the Breach.._

I hug my legs tighter to my chest, rocking gently back and forth. I'm startled by a touch on my shoulder. I twist around sharply, my fingertips igniting.

"Sylaise," says Solas, perking an eyebrow at my flaming fingers. I realize that must look like a feral cat with my claws bared.

"Solas," I reply curtly, extinguishing the flames and curling back into my former position.

"I wonder what your parents had planned for you when they gave you such a name," he muses, crouching next to me on the snow-dusted stone steps.

I give a slight shrug. "My parents never knew me. My Keeper named me Sylaise. Perhaps she somehow knew that I would be the one to set the world on fire," I say glumly, my eyes flicking over my shoulder to observe the Breach in all its ominous glory.

"Or perhaps she saw that you would be the one to save the world," Solas says with a smirk.

"Save the world? I couldn't even close the damn hole in the sky."

"Perhaps not, but now it is no longer growing. That is something. You did not close it, that is true, but if you had not done anything at all, it may have swallowed all of Thedas by now. You underestimate yourself."

I grimace. "Oh, yes, Sylaise to the rescue. I'm sure Cassandra is simply bursting with enthusiasm over my progress."

"I'm sure she is."

I glance at him long enough to quirk a curved brow at him, then my gaze is caught by the flickering of light inside the tavern nearby. Someone's lit the hearth. I can just barely make out Flissa's voice singing, "Once we were in our peace with our lives assured.... Once we were not afraid of the dark..."

Solas must follow my gaze and smiles slightly. "It's true, you know. We were not always afraid of the dark."

"It's not dark anymore. It's bright and green and ripping a hole in the sky."

" _Ripped_ a hole in the sky. It's not ripping anymore, thanks to you."

"Hmph."

We both fall silent after that, enjoying the distant sound of Flissa's lovely, bardic voice carried to us on the wind through the open tavern door.

"We held together the fragile sky... to keep our way of life..."

As the melody fades and the crowd within the tavern erupts in applause, I give a soft smile and rest my chin on my arms folded over my knees.

"You seem to be smarter than the average elf, Solas. Do you know anything of the ancient elves?"

He scoffs. "I'm sure you're prepared to flood me with your endless wealth of knowledge."

I look over and raise an eyebrow. "Why would I be asking if I already knew everything I wanted to know?"

Solas grimaces. "Perhaps to see how far off I am from the ever-so-accurate information you've been raised on."

"Do you have a problem with the Dalish elves, Solas?"

"Only the entitled ones... which is generally all of them."

"We're doing the best we can, I would think. Not everyone can waltz through the Fade and examine the histories first-hand."

"Second-hand, actually."

I tilt my head. "Second-hand?"

He gives a soft sigh, leaning forward to fold his own arms over his knees. "Yes, second-hand. When I am in the Fade, what I see does not come from me. I'm not watching everything as it happens. Rather, I am viewing how the spirits attached to the events react to what happened, how they reenact the emotions. So they are the first hand, and I am the second hand."

Solas continues to explain the mechanics of his Fade-walking as I lean forward eagerly to absorb his knowledge. It is a half hour later before I realize I've run dry of questions. I strain to think of something else to say, to keep this enthralling conversation going, but my exhaustion from the day is starting to poke its way through.

Solas smiles understandingly. "Go get some rest, Herald. We can speak more tomorrow."

I give a nod and regrettably rise, heading to my small cabin.

It feels strange having a wood floor beneath my feet instead of grass or dirt or stone. The thought takes me back to another time, a distant place, with a very different elven mage.

_"You are extraordinary, Sylaise, do you know that?" he says softly, smiling._

_"I would hardly call myself extraordinary, Veryl. I'm just a runaway. Another one of your strays."_

_"Oh, sweet Sylaise, that is where you are wrong," he says, brushing the inky, black tendrils from my face. "You are not a runaway. You are my home."_

_I see him leaning closer, his eyes heavy-lidded, and I close my eyes. I've never kissed a boy, let alone a man, but I know that you are supposed to close your eyes._

_His lips brush mine tentatively, shy at first, and my whole body tenses. I can feel him grin and a soft chuckle escapes him, then he grabs my face and crushes his lips to mine._

_I don't know if he is pouring magic into me or if it is just my own over-excited reaction, but lyrium thrums between us. Our bodies begin to warm and pulse. We are our own inferno._

_Veryl's lips assault mine hungrily, his tongue light and teasing. I can barely keep up. He lowers one hand to my waist and pulls my body flush against him, his fingers curling into the fabric. His other hand is still tangled into my hair, his hold inescapable._

_Soft moans escape me as I let him victimize me with his touch, all but helpless in his grasp. I have never been more happy to be where I am, and I never will be again. This is paradise. This is sanctuary._

_This is Veryl, and I love him._

_I love him. I love him. I love him._

_"I love you," I gasp between heated collisions of our swollen lips._

_Veryl smiles softly against my lips and breaths, "I love you more, my Sylaise... I love you more.."_

The memory is hideously painful, but I cling to it. I can feel the treacherous tears welling in my eyes.

No. I refuse. Veryl is gone, he died in the Conclave. He's dead.

_"You are my home, Sylaise..."_

I swear under my breath and crawl into the bed, pulling the blankets up to my chin.

_"I love you more..."_

Veryl's voice follows me all the way into my blood-stained nightmares.

-

"Sylaise?"

I hear the rapping of knuckles on my door, but I turn over and tug the blanket over my head.

"Sylaise, it's morning."

Cassandra?

"Damn it, woman, get out of bed. We have to go to the Hinterlands to meet Mother Giselle."

Oh, yeah.

Damn it.

"Let me get dressed," I call groggily, shoving the blanket off and sitting up. My head is pounding and my cheeks are moist. I wipe away the drying tears of my nightmares and gather my armor.

Cassandra meets me outside, leaning against the cabin. "About time. I was beginning to think I would have to go in there and drag you out."

"Funny," I remark, shoving my arm threw the sleeve of my coat and buttoning the front. My staff is slung across my back, glowing slightly.

Cassandra leads me to the Chantry so I can look over our latest operations. I assign the objectives quickly, then we head out.

A storm cloud greets us as the gates of Haven close behind us. Cullen watches our departure from the training yard, giving a curt nod when he catches my glance.

We barely make it ten paces before the rain starts.

Wonderful. This is going to be a long day.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for the short first chapter. Just wanted to get introductions out of the way and set the scene. The following chapters will get longer.
> 
> Hope you're enjoying so far!


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